How Digital Is Chemical Research? Insights from the Second NFDI4Chem Community Survey on Research Data and FAIR Workflows

Abstract

Increasing digitisation is revolutionising all scientific disciplines, but it poses a particular challenge in chemistry. Research data is generated, for example, during the synthesis of substances, the recording of spectra or the application of theoretical methods, and must therefore be appropriately documented, archived and made available for reuse. Traditionally, this happens in the form of paper-based laboratory notebooks. In order for the transition to the age of digital chemistry to succeed, a cultural change in the community is necessary. But how do chemists actually treat their research data? The recent NFDI4Chem survey provides answers on the progress of digitisation. Moreover, we highlight how the consortium transported the community's needs into the second funding phase. This exemplifies a feedback-driven model for digital infrastructure design that could serve as a blueprint for other disciplines and national initiatives.